The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe For A Chocolate Lover or Chocoholic!

Simply the Best Chocolate Cake for Chocolate Lovers!

Hershey's has always been one of my favorite chocolates. I know. I love Ghiradelli and See's, Godiva, Dove and all of the others and I am aware of the Great Chocolate Wars waged by chocoholics and chocolate lovers across the world, but from the time I was a little girl, Hershey bars were the best. My daughter and I were just talking about how her grandma (my mom) used to bring her Hershey bars everytime she came to see her when she was little. I do the same with my grandchildren.

I make the most incredible chocolate cake with Hershey's Cocoa! I don't remember where the recipe came from and I know the original calls for some Swiss brand that I have never heard of. I used to make wedding cakes many years ago and this was one of the cake recipes I had. It resurfaced a few years ago, when I was trying to think of a birthday cake for a miniature chocoholic that I know. A yellowed, chocolate smeared paper fell out of my favorite, old cookbook and then I remembered this wonderful treat! It is not the easiest of cakes to make, but the effort is well worth it! It can be made as a layer cake using two 9 or even 10 inch round pans or in a 9 X 12 inch pan. As a layer cake, it is at its best, but much easier in a baking pan. The batter makes a little too much for 2 --9 inch pans, that is why I suggest 2 --10 inch if you have them. REMEMBER to use only about 3/4 of the batter with standard 9 inch pans. When I made wedding cakes, 9 inch round wedding pans were deeper, so this recipe worked well. Use the remaining batter for cupcakes. The cook or the kids will love them!

The Recipe You Will Treasure! A Blackout Cake from the Angels!

2 cups of flour

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons of sugar

1 cup of Hershey's cocoa

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 eggs

1 cup of cold, strong coffee

1 cup of buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, try this. It works! To one cup of milk, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, stir it a little and Voila! I recommend the lemon...)

1/2 cup of canola oil

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Make sure they are well mixed. Make a large well in the center of the bowl and add the eggs, coffee, buttermilk and oil (I use canola oil, just as my preference). At this point, I also add 1 teaspoon of vanilla, even though it is not in the original recipe that I have written, just because vanilla is always in cakes. You can make your own decision regarding the vanilla, but I highly recommend it. Blend the ingredients well. Then medium speed for about 2 minutes until batter is smooth and shiny! Pour the batter into well-sprayed pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes for two 9 inch pans. When finished baking, the center will spring back if lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. The original recipe does not give a time for a 9 x 13, but I usually bake it for about 30 minutes and look through the oven door for about 5 more minutes, then check it with a toothpick. Each oven is different and you are familiar with yours.

Simply Decadent Chocolate Frosting!

2 sticks of melted butter

1 and 1/3 cups of Hershey's cocoa

6 cups of sifted powdered sugar

2/3 of a cup of room temperature milk (you may need to add up to 1/3 cup of warm milk for easier spreading)

1 Tablespoon of vanilla

Mix the melted butter with the cocoa until it is smooth. Alternately add some of the powdered sugar and some of the milk, mixing well with each addition. Add and mix in the vanilla. At this point, you will be able to determine if you need to add extra milk.

Make sure that your Blackout Cake is completely cooled prior to frosting it.

Comments

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Author

Jillian Barclay 6 years agofrom California, USA

Dear Winsome,

Let me assure you, the coffee isn't even noticeable, so lately, I have been just using a regular (not strong) cold cup of coffee in the cake. The original recipe called for expresso, but I saw no need for it. The icing is the BEST ever and yes! there are those (in my family) that take some of the frosting and actually put it into a small bowl and eat it plain, minus the cake!

I think it is the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted in my life, and at 57 years old, I have tasted many!

Winsome 6 years agofrom Southern California by way of Texas

Speaking as a chocoholic I have to say your recipe looks delicious. I may just make the icing and forget about the cake--just kidding, but I may try Coca Cola instead of coffee, having never acquired a taste for coffee. Thanks for the recipe. =:)

Author

Jillian Barclay 7 years agofrom California, USA

The miniature chocoholic in my hub is my 8 yr old granddaughter. This is her favorite cake! So, hopefully your kids will love it, too! But remember, if they do, you will have to keep making it for them. My best friend had her gallbladder emoved a couple of years ago and she can't even eat chocolate anymore. Probably the fat content, but I am not sure. I will tell you, though, since her gallbladder came out, she is so much healthier. Hope it has worked for you that way, too.

Let me know how the kids like the cake!

Abecedarian 7 years agofrom These United States, Texas

This sounds really good. Will try next weekend and let you know how it comes out. My kids love chocolate. I use to, but ever since they took out my gallbladder, my tastes have changed. Don't do sweets to much anymore. How weird huh?